Jon Rahm Fires Opening 65 In Abu Dhabi As Collapsing LIV Golf Faces Liquidation

Just as LIV Golf's proposed LIV 2.0 relaunch collapsed following the withdrawal of BC Partners, Jon Rahm returned to action by firing a seven-under-par 65 at the Abu Dhabi Championship.

The two-time major champion delivered an emphatic performance at Yas Links to put himself firmly in contention.

Rahm caught fire early on his front nine, rolling in five birdies before making the turn.

He maintained total control down the stretch, keeping his scorecard completely clean over the closing nine holes.

The flawless inward half left the 31-year-old Spaniard tied for second place at seven-under par.

He sits just three shots behind early tournament leader Francesco Laporta.

It marks a dramatic return to form for Rahm following an extended period away from competitive tournament golf.

Rahm had stepped away from the sport after September's BMW PGA Championship to attend the birth of his child.

His previous competitive outing at Wentworth was the worst statistical performance of his professional career, culminating in a dead-last finish.

That disappointing showing came on the heels of his high-profile exit from LIV Golf when the breakaway league entered bankruptcy.

Now, Rahm looks revitalized and ready to re-establish his dominance across the global stage.

RAHM SHINES AT YAS LINKS

Rahm admitted after his round that his stellar opening score came despite feeling somewhat rusty with his ball striking.

"Yeah, obviously a very good score," Rahm said after signing his card.

"I think the highlight today was my iron game."

"Very good with the irons," he explained.

"Gave myself plenty of chances and obviously holed a few."

Rahm conceded that fortune smiled on him during a couple of erratic tee shots during the day.

He specifically highlighted off-target drives on the par-four third and par-four 11th holes that ended with positive results.

"I would say, though, I got away with a couple of bad swings," Rahm noted.

"Had a tee shot on three, and then up the middle of fairway, a tee shot on 11, being able to find that and have a birdie putt."

"So a few bad swings that I got away with," he added with a smile.

"But overall, yeah, I shot really nice today."

Rahm credited lower expectations for helping him settle into a comfortable rhythm early in the opening round.

"I think sometimes when your expectation is a little lower than usual, where I just kept thinking, listen, if we have a bad day, we have a bad day."

That relaxed mindset allowed him to play with complete freedom along the coastal layout in Abu Dhabi.

He was not the only former breakaway league player to enjoy a profitable start to the week.

Recent Alfred Dunhill Links Championship winner Adrian Meronk posted a six-under round to sit in a tie for third place.

Rahm’s former team colleague Tyrrell Hatton also impressed by recording a solid five-under opening loop.

All three men now find themselves in strong contention during the opening event of the DP World Tour playoffs.

LIV GOLF COLLAPSE AND LIQUIDATION

Rahm’s sparkling play on the course stands in stark contrast to the absolute chaos engulfing his former employer.

LIV Golf is reportedly facing immediate closure and total liquidation after a proposed rescue package fell apart.

Private equity firm BC Partners officially withdrew a crucial $300 million funding lifeline intended to finance 'LIV Golf 2.0'.

The private equity group pulled out after being unable to secure sufficient player commitments to satisfy strict deadlines.

Those binding targets had been established between BC Partners, LIV management, and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

Without an influx of outside capital, the entire league now sits on the precipice of a sudden shutdown.

Reports indicate that the tour's original corporate entity had previously declared bankruptcy before floating the 2.0 reboot.

Rahm's own legal representative recently confirmed that the Spaniard will have no involvement whatsoever with LIV 2.0.

That formal declaration officially severed Rahm’s ties to the disruption project he joined in late 2023.

He is far from the only elite competitor who chose to walk away before the venture ran out of road.

Fellow major champions and European stars Sergio Garcia and Tyrrell Hatton have also moved on from the league.

Financial Times reporter Sujeet Indap first reported that BC Partners had walked away from the proposed deal on Wednesday.

While Indap later noted that a handful of players were staging a desperate attempt to rescue the circuit, options remain extremely thin.

Industry insiders believe it is nearly impossible to salvage the enterprise without marquee superstars under contract.

United States Open champion Bryson DeChambeau is reportedly regarded as the only remaining asset who could potentially anchor a revived circuit.

Yet with the remaining roster fractured and capital depleted, LIV's operational survival appears deeply improbable.

FIERCE WORDS ACROSS GOLF'S DIVIDE

The imminent downfall of the breakaway circuit has sparked intense public sniping between golf's most prominent figures.

Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy issued a scathing critique of the league's destructive impact on professional sports finance.

McIlroy condemned LIV Golf for dragging the royal and ancient game into an unsustainable financial arms race.

The four-time major winner argued that massive, unearned guaranteed contracts severely damaged the sport's economic equilibrium.

Former Ryder Cup stalwart Lee Westwood took deep offence at those remarks and fired back publicly.

Westwood accused McIlroy and established tour chiefs of unfairly scapegoating LIV Golf for every existing issue in golf.

The English veteran insisted that traditional golf authorities were deflecting blame from their own administrative shortcomings.

Critics contend that players such as Westwood and DeChambeau have caused lasting damage to their personal reputations.

Both men spoke out aggressively in defence of the Saudi-backed model before its ultimate financial collapse.

THE RISE AND FALL OF A DISRUPTOR

The sudden winding-down process brings an end to one of the most polarizing eras in professional golf history.

LIV Golf burst onto the landscape in early 2022 with immense financial backing from the Saudi Public Investment Fund.